Zinc oxide nanostructures: growth, properties and applications

Zinc oxide is a unique material that exhibits semiconducting and piezoelectric dual properties. Using a solid-vapour phase thermal sublimation technique, nanocombs, nanorings, nanohelixes/nanosprings, nanobelts, nanowires and nanocages of ZnO have been synthesized under specific growth conditions. These unique nanostructures unambiguously demonstrate that ZnO probably has the richest family of nanostructures among all materials, both in structures and in properties. The nanostructures could have novel applications in optoelectronics, sensors, transducers and biomedical sciences. This article reviews the various nanostructures of ZnO grown by the solid-vapour phase technique and their corresponding growth mechanisms. The application of ZnO nanobelts as nanosensors, nanocantilevers, field effect transistors and nanoresonators is demonstrated. (topical review)